No government can finance the kinds of transformations needed for the world to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

That’s the word from Achim Steiner, administrator of the U.N. Development Programme, who argues the private sector is integral to the SDGs, particularly on climate change.

He talks to Devex Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger, who authors the Devex Invested newsletter, about the complexities of fossil fuels and renewable energy — and how we can keep the lights on while transitioning to a cleaner economy.

In addition to serving as administrator of UNDP, Achim Steiner is director of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford. Most recently, he was executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. He previously served as director-general of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, director-general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and secretary-general of the World Commission on Dams in South Africa.